


Somewhere in Neverland

by bubblydreams



Category: The Tribes of Palos Verdes (2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Jim Mason x Reader - Freeform, Runaway, Somewhere in neverland, beach, jim mason - Freeform, jim mason fluff, jim mason reader, palos verdes, tribes of palos verdes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 00:43:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17436602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubblydreams/pseuds/bubblydreams
Summary: In this, Jim and the reader are both in their early twenties. Probably like 21/22 I think. Also this is based off the song Somewhere in Neverland by All Time Low. Pls look it up because it’s adorable and I love that song. This is just some cliche fluff, so I’m sorry that this really isn’t good. I’m trying to get better with writing, and I’m still pretty new to this. Hopefully you like it and if I decide to write something else, maybe it’ll be better. Also posted on my tumblr: confettucini.tumblr.com





	Somewhere in Neverland

Friday nights were always busy at ‘Catalinas’, the upscale, seaside restaurant filled with the privileged residents of Palos Verdes. You didn't mind the traffic, though, because the well-off residents always tipped generously, as if they were all in silent competition with each other to see who had more money. You waltzed through the restaurant, wearing your best fake smile as you delivered a tray of food to one of your tables. It was getting closer to 9:00, which meant you were going to be closing soon. Walking back to the bar to grab drinks for table 11, your eyes met with those light blue ones that shone from across the room. Jim Mason. Raising your eyebrows at him playfully, you grabbed the drinks and went to head off to deliver them. He stuck his tongue out at you as you headed off.

 

You and Jim had been work friends ever since he started working at Catalinas a year ago. You both bonded, ironically, over how much you hated Palos Verdes. The residents were all rich and obsessed with their posh style of living. You and Jim felt like outcasts and you both longed to leave.

 

After delivering the drinks to table 11, you visit table 6 to collect their cards to pay for dinner. You maneuver your way through the crowded restaurant to the cash register in the back so that you can enter in their totals and card numbers. As you were filling in their information, Jim appeared beside of you, bumping the side of his hip against yours.

 

“So I saw this girl at table 9 giving you eyes, Jim.” You say, biting your lip to hold back a smile.

 

“Oh _really_?”

 

“Yeah, she was _pretty_ hot. I think you should shoot your shot.” You ripped the receipt from the machine as he peaked out from behind the wall to table 9.

 

“Fuck you!” He laughs, seeing the older lady at table 9. He nudged your shoulder as you made your way around him.

 

“What? I'm sure she was a real looker back in ‘67…” You laugh, heading back to table 6. Working with Jim made this job way less insufferable. You'd often joke about your awful customers and compete to see who could earn more tips.

 

Your shift finally ended after you finished clearing tables and settling balances for the night, closing up at around 11:21 PM.

 

“Three hundred, forty-three dollars and a nickel.” You say proudly, waving your stack of five and twenty dollar bills in Jim's face. It was a busy night. Most nights after work, when you'd both be on the same shift, you'd hang out by the seaside restaurant on the sand and take turns playing music for one another on your phones. Jim had told you about his overdose when he was younger, and how he quit the hard stuff, but would still share a joint with you most nights after work to calm his nerves.  

 

“Shit… Three hundred, twenty-two dollars and eighty-seven cents. You win.” He pokes his tongue out at you, pocketing his money and grabbing his joint to light. Normally you'd just hang for around an hour after work before going your separate ways, but lately you were staying later and later, just enjoying the company. You figured he didn't want to return home to his mom. He had explained to you the mess that was his home life, with his parents’ divorce and his mom's mental state. Ever since his twin sister left for college, it's been just him and his mom, and you could tell how exhausted he was from dealing with her constantly. He pressed the joint to his lips and brought his lighter to the end of it, the dance of the flame illuminating the features of his face.

 

“Oh! I have a song you should listen to.” You remembered you had found this song earlier that day and forgot to tell him about it. He took a long drag and leaned back on his elbows, smiling brightly at you. The familiar stench of the weed greeted your nostrils.

 

“Alright, let’s hear it then.” He said, releasing the smoke and handing you the burning roll of marijuana. You pressed play on your phone and set it down between the two of you. As the song began to play, you inhaled a long drag and leaned back to mimic his pose.

 

‘ _Wendy run away with me_

_I know I sound crazy_

_Don’t you see what you do to me?_

_I wanna be your lost boy_

_Your last chance, a better reality_

_Wendy we can get away_

_I promise if you’re with me, say the word and we’ll find a way_

_I can be your lost boy, your last chance_

_Your "everything better" plan_

_Oh, somewhere in Neverland’_

Jim closed his eyes, nodding along to the music and a smile creeping along his face. You watched as he listened, adoring how he looked like he was enjoying the music.

 

“So, what’d you think?” You ask as the song finishes. He smiled and bobbed his head up and down, approving of the song.

 

“It was good. Yeah.” His eyes creased slightly from his broad smile.

 

“Yeah…” You smiled and bit at your bottom lip. He cocked his head to the side, trying to figure you out.

 

“What?” He asks, knowing there was something you wanted to say. You let out a half-laugh.

 

“I don’t know, I mean, when I hear this song it just sounds so _romantic_.”

 

“Well, I think that's kind of the point.” He observed, giving your shoulder a playful nudge with his own.

 

“No, I mean, yeah _that_ was supposed to be romantic, but like, I think there’s just something romantic about running away and starting new. Things don’t have to be like shit, you know?”

 

He nods, taking another long drag. “It’d be nice to get away from this place, from the people, from everything…” His ordinarily bright eyes now convey a look of sorrow. “She’s just… I’m going insane, Y/N…” You notice the slight crack in his voice as he spoke your name. You place your hand on top of his to comfort him, rubbing your thumb back and forth over the top of his hand.

 

The two of you sat like that, in a comfortable silence for a half hour, taking in the beauty of the waves at night, before heading back to your homes. It broke your heart to see Jim in such a rough place, knowing you couldn’t do anything to help him but listen and give him company. You decided to try and cheer him up the following night at work.

 

“Hi, _Jim_ iny Cricket.” You joke, laughing too loudly at your own pun that you knew he hated as you were walking into the back door of the restaurant to clock in.

 

“You’re in a good mood, Y/N.” He notes, smirking as he’s getting ready to start his shift as well. He ties the folded apron to his waist, stuffing a few pens and the order pad in the pocket.

 

“Because I have good reason to be! It’s officially Jim day! A day to celebrate my favorite Jim!” You hand him a boxed cupcake you had brought in from the best bakery in town. His eyes lit up.

 

“Oh, I think I like Jim day.” He grins, wrapping his arm loosely around your shoulders for a half hug before you have to go out to greet customers, lingering in the hug for a few moments.

 

After your shift ended, you met up with Jim before heading down to your spot.

 

“Hey, go ahead and I’ll meet you there, I gotta grab something from my car.” You gave him a excited smile before heading to your car to grab your laptop, bottle of pre-made margarita, and the big blanket the two of you always laid on at night.

 

“What’s all this about?” Jim asked, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as his smile grew.

 

“What? You didn’t honestly think you were just going to get a _cupcake_ for Jim day, did you?” You began to spread the blanket on the ground, noticing the salty night air was a bit chillier than normal.

 

“You spoil me, darlin’.” Jim sang, sporting a goofy accent that you couldn’t quite make out. “And it's not even my birthday.” He added as the two of you sat down on the blanket. You set your laptop in the middle of the two of you, playing the movie you had brought. You cracked open the bottle of margarita and poured it into two plastic cups.

 

“To Jim.” You held up your cup in a mock toast before taking a big gulp, feeling it warm your throat on the way down.

 

The two of you laid back on the blanket, the laptop positioned between you. “Y/N?” Jim’s voice was soft, like he didn’t want anyone else to hear, even though the shoreline was empty of people for miles.  

 

“Hmm?” You hummed, turning your head so you could view his baby blues.

 

“Thank you.” He whispered, scooting his head close to you to lay it on your shoulder. You placed your fingers in his hair, gently twirling the curls in your fingers. It felt weird to be this intimate with Jim… A good kind of weird.

 

By the time the movie had finished, the two of you were half asleep. You picked up your phone to check the time.

 

“Well Jim, it’s like 1:30 in the morning, we should probably go…” You weren't ready to leave, but you knew he should probably get home before his mom freaks out. From what you've heard, it didn't take much to set her off. You would’ve stayed all night there with him, though, if things were different.

 

“I don’t want to go, not yet.” He mumbled, pulling himself up to stretch out. Your heart ached for him, thinking about what all he has to deal with. Jim had such a sweet soul and didn’t deserve to have that much to worry about and weigh him down at such a young age. He's already been through enough.

 

“You know what,” You start, pulling yourself up to match his pose. “We should do it!”

 

“On the beach? _How kinky,_ Y/N…” He shimmies his shoulders, teasing you.

 

“No!” You laughed, knocking him over with your palm, a soft pink blush pricking at your cheeks. “I mean, we should leave this hell hole. Get out and find our Neverland and not come back.” You wanted nothing more than to leave, and you had quite a bit saved from working. You were just ready to start over somewhere new, and Jim deserved it too.

 

Jim's bright smile faded. “I… I don't know about that, Y/N…” He said lowly, raking his fingers through his hair.

 

“Why not? You've said yourself that you want to leave this place. That you and Medina were even going to before…” Jim wrapped his arm around your shoulder, pulling you in to him to stop you. His warmth felt nice since you had developed a chill from the cold air that surrounded you.

 

“You know I can't just leave my mom…” He rested his head on yours. His voice conveyed a serious tone to it.

 

“No, yeah, you're right. That was dumb, I mean we can't just _leave_ …” You wished it was that simple, but you both had your own responsibilities. You felt Jim's hands slide up and down your arm slowly, keeping you pressed against him.

 

“I wish we could just stay out here forever.” He admitted, mumbling it more to himself than to you. You nodded, turning your head to face him. You noticed his eyes were still as beautiful blue as always, even in the dark. You couldn’t help but notice how close his face was to yours now. Your breath became stuck in the back of your throat.

 

Jim pressed his forehead to yours, poking his tongue out slightly at you. He placed his hand on your cheek and rubbed his thumb against it. The pink blush on your cheeks now burning red. You inhaled slightly, closing your eyes as the pull between the two of you caused him to lean in slowly. Just as his lips were about to press into yours, you were interrupted by a loud song playing from his phone.

 

“ _Wendy run away with me_

_I know I sound crazy_

_Don’t you see—“_

 

“Shit!” The two of you pulled back in a hurry as Jim was fumbling to answer his phone. You could hear his mom yelling through the speaker. You sat there awkwardly looking at the sand on the ground, unsure what would have happened if you weren't interrupted. The thought sent a shiver down your spine and your stomach felt light from either the almost kiss or the alcohol, you weren’t sure. You pretended to not be able to hear his mother through the phone, even though your senses were heightened and the only sounds were his phone and the waves crashing against the shore.

 

“Yeah mom, I'm fine. We had to work late… No, I'm just with Y/N… _No,_ it isn't like that… _I'm not going to be getting anyone pregnant…_ ” You cocked your head to face him again, shooting him a playful surprised expression, crossing your hand over your chest in fake shock. A smile replaced his annoyed expression when he noticed you.

 

“... Okay, I'll be home in a few…” He threw his phone on the blanket after ending his call and sighed. The light atmosphere that surrounded him now expressed his frustration.

 

“So we're not getting pregnant tonight?” Your attempt to lighten the mood was lost on him.

 

“I should probably head home… Thanks for everything you’ve done for me tonight, Y/N. You make this place a lot less shitty.” He placed his hand on top of yours, giving it a light squeeze before standing up to leave.

 

“You deserve it, Jim.” You offer him a warm smile as he offers you his hand to help you off the ground.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Two weeks have passed since you and Jim’s almost kiss. Things were in no way weird between the two of you, but they weren’t the same either. You were still hanging out after work, but the air felt different.

 

It was another busy Friday night, and Jim seemed more stressed than normal. In fact, ever since that night, he’s been more stressed. You suspected he was having trouble at home with his mom.

 

“Jim?” You were both laying on your blanket in the sand; it was well after midnight. There was a bit of distance between the two of you, but he had his hand on top of yours, needing to feel you.

 

“Mmm?” He hummed, almost asleep.

 

“Where would you go?” You turn to your side to face him.

 

“Hmm?” He hums again, a smile curling at his lips.

 

“Where would you go? If you could leave PV?” You scoot closer to him, tickling at his chest to wake him up.

 

“Hawaii.” He breathed, turning on his side to face you as well. He smiled sweetly and let his eyelids fall shut.

 

“ _Someone’s sleepy_.” You tease, giving him a playful boop on the tip of his nose. He returned the gesture by poking his tongue out like he’s done so many times before. The way he looked right now, so peaceful and happy, made your heart flutter in your chest. But, like all nights with Jim, the sweet moment would soon have to come to an end.

 

“Come on, I think it’s time we go home.” You sat up and tugged on his arm to pull him up as well.

 

“I’m not ready yet, just a little longer…” He whined, pulling at your arm to bring you back down beside him. He was being clingy tonight; he must have had a bad day.

 

“It’s so late, come on. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” He huffed like a child that's been denied an extra scoop of ice cream. You sat up, pulling at his arm again.

 

“Fine.” He slowly made his way up, rubbing his eyes. You walked in silence to your vehicles, stopping before parting ways.

 

“Goodnight, Y/N.” He said through his yawn.

 

“Goodnight, _sleepy boy_.” You leaned into him for a quick hug before leaving. In his sleepy state, he held you tight for a few moments longer, not eager to let go.

 

~~~~~

 

The next night at work, Jim didn't show up. A worried knot took up residence in your stomach, however you tried to just focus on your customers. Jim probably just needed a break for the night.

 

After work ended, you headed home. It was strange, actually being in your bed before 12 AM, but you were in no way complaining. It was _nice_.

 

What felt like only minutes after you drifted to sleep, you were startled awake by a knocking sound against your window. You sat up and looked around your room for the nearest heavy object to protect yourself with. The knocking kept on, and you crept over to the window, armed with a book. You gathered the courage to peek through the blinds only to be greeted by your favorite set of blue eyes.

 

“ _Jim Mason!”_ You hissed as you let up the blinds and opened the window. “What in the hell are you doing here? At my window? In the middle of the night?” He couldn't contain his large smile as he climbed in, and his eyes were wild.

 

“Come on, Y/N, pack your bags!” He walked through your room as if he'd been in there a hundred times before, even though he'd only ever been in there once. _Right now._

 

“What? Jim, what's going on? What are you talking about?” You were starting to get worried, fearing he might be high on something, however you weren't sure what. He was still searching through your room, for what, exactly, you had no idea.

 

“Wendy, run away with me.” He walked closer to you, quoting the song you had shared with him weeks earlier. He grabbed your hands and continued. “I know I sound crazy, don't you see what you do to me?”

 

“Jim, are you _serious_? What about your mom and wha-”

 

“ _Please,_ Y/N, I'm serious.” He interrupted, now pacing in your room. “Let's get out of the place. Let's go find our Neverland. I'm so _tired_ of the shit here. If Medina can get out, why can't I?”  

 

You studied Jim, making sure everything was okay. He didn't appear to be high, and he looked more excited and hopeful than anything else. You smiled widely at him, nodding your head.

 

“Let's go to Neverland!” He attacks you with a large hug, squeezing you tightly as if he's trying to thank you for agreeing.

 

You packed as much clothes as you could fit in your bag, unsure how long the two of you would be gone, or where you were even going, for that matter.

 

“So, where are we going, exactly?” You ask, stuffing the last bit of your clothes into your large duffle bag in order to zip it up.

 

“Anywhere. Away from here.” His eyes were beaming as he helped you gather your things.

 

“And _why_ did you come through my window? You know, instead of just knocking on the front door?”

 

“Well if you would have answered your phone, I would have. I called you like eleven times, but apparently sleep is more important.” He teased, picking up your bag. “Besides, Peter doesn't come through the front door. He comes to Wendy's window. Do you know anything, Y/N?” You stuck _your_ tongue out at him for a change of pace, stealing his signature quirk.

 

It was now about one-thirty in the morning and the two of you were riding the interstate, not too sure where you were going, but it didn’t matter. You and Jim were actually _leaving_. The excitement of the adventure caused you to forget about the drowsiness that flirted with your heavy eyelids. One of Jim’s hands held a tight grip on the steering wheel while the other grazed yours, anxiously asking permission to be held. He craved touch and affection, probably from the lack of it he got at home.

 

After about three hours of driving and desperately trying to stay awake, you both decided on finding a hotel to rest at before getting back on the road. You pulled into the parking lot of a Holiday Inn and waited in the car as Jim ran in to get the two of you a room.

 

As you entered the room, you noticed there was only one bed decorating the center of the room. You looked to Jim as he sat down, kicking off his shoes. He crawled backwards to the headboard, ready for sleep.

  
“ _Sleepy boy._ ” You grin, taking your own shoes off and grabbing your pajamas from your bag to change into.

 

“Sleepy girl.” He remarked, raising his eyebrows at you with a smirk. Jim seemed different, but in a good way. Happy _._ You strolled into the bathroom to change into your pajamas before returning back to the room. You turned out the lights and jumped on the bed, colliding into Jim in the process.

 

“Hey, this is _my_ side, Y/N.” Jim blurted through laughter. “Your side is right… Here.” Wrapping his arms around you, he rolled you to the other side of the bed. You were both giddy with sleep, yet too excited to commit actually sleeping.

 

“Y/N?” Jim mumbled in your hair.

 

“Mmm?” You rolled over in his arms, facing him now. His sleep-drunk smile causing your heart to dance in your chest.

 

“I think I’ve found Neverland.” You giggle at his statement.

 

“Oh, in room 116 of the Holiday Inn?” You remark, smirking. He shakes his head, those blue eyes glued to yours.  
  
“If that’s where I’m with you, then sure.” Your skin ran hot at his answer, and you couldn’t control the smile that tugged at your lips. You felt a chill run down your spine, all the way to your toes, as he pressed his face closer, bumping the tip of his nose against yours. You closed your eyes and breathed him in, hoping to get closer to him. He closed the distance after what felt like forever, brushing his lips against yours gently, finally continuing what had almost happened weeks earlier.

 

You kissed him back slowly, taking your time to feel the softness of his plump lips. You trickle your fingers up his chest to rest on his neck as he deepened the kiss, rolling you onto your back. You parted your lips as his tongue glided across your bottom lip, soon entering to dance with yours. He ghosted one of his hands up and down your side, holding you close to him. You whined quietly when he pulled away, pressing his forehead to yours again. His eyes lit up as his lips curled upward. You bit your lip, gazing back at him.

 

“I think I’ve found Neverland, too.” You breathe, pulling his face back to yours to meet with his lips again.


End file.
